Oh Oprah…Say It Ain’t So!

CNN calls Oprah Winfrey “arguably the world’s most powerful woman.” “She has more credibility than the president,” says columnist Maureen Dowd. She’s been mentioned as a presidential candidate herself.

So why would entertainment’s most powerful woman be involved with a slipshod marketing campaign selling weight loss gummies? Short answer: SHE ISN’T!

I play Words With Friends daily, watching commercials to collect bonus points and access various game functions.

Today I saw an ad for Oprah’s Weight Loss Gummies, promising I’d lose 40 lbs. in 21 days. It burns fat instantly, has no side effects, and no exercise is needed.

“Expert approved. Last Day!!! Get your free bottle.” the ad shouted.

Yet I remained unmoved. Mom taught me if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. My desire to lose weight notwithstanding, I’m not ordering my free sample.

Because I’ve seen this ad every day for the past two weeks. The efficacy of this product aside, I’m casting a jaundiced eye because they seem (how can I put this politely?) dishonest.

Common sense insists if there are still only two bottles left, these ads and their sense of urgency aren’t working and they’d stop running them. And if those free samples are already gone (or don’t exist), then they’re lying.

Either way, there’s obviously something else going on here. I smelled a rat.

Research turned up a CNN story where Oprah is warning fans against falling victim to companies selling weight loss products using her name and image.

Says the Weight Watchers partner on her Instagram feed; ”Fraud alert! Please don’t buy any weight loss gummies with my picture or name on them.”

I believe her, but am reminded of Voltaire’s observation; “Common sense is not so common.” And were I not so cynical, I might have taken these ads at face value.

But seeing the hysterical tone of the messaging, one should be wondering about the claims.

Unfortunately, the days of reasoning, logic, and fact-checking may be a thing of the past. Politicians, monied interests, and scammers all appear intent on defrauding us. It’s our individual responsibility to follow our (sometimes oversized) gut, do some research, and come to an intelligent conclusion.

Because if you’re responding to an ad like this, the only thing getting thinner will be your wallet.

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

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